1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a color conversion processing method for a color image output apparatus and, more particularly, to a color conversion processing method which enables a color matching process to deal with a plurality of types of drawing objects supplied to a color image output apparatus. The present invention also relates to a method for expanding a program module which can be dynamically linked with other programs, and a color conversion processing method using such a method for expanding a program module. The present invention further relates to a processor readable medium which stores a program causing a computer to perform such a color conversion processing method.
2. Description of the Related Art
A color matching system using device independent colors is studied so as to provide color image data to a color printer, the color image data accurately representing a color image displayed on a color display monitor. The purpose of provision of such a color matching system is to obtain the same color image from different devices. Generally, a signal matching a visual sense of a human being such as the CIE 1931 XYZ signal or the L*a*b* signal is used as a color signal which is independent for each device.
However, a color representation which is preferable to a human being differs for different types of images such as a natural color image (photographic image), a character image or an illustration image. Accordingly, in order to obtain color image information which includes various types of images, an architecture which can switch a color processing according to a document structure included in a color image is required.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 7-107312 discloses a color information processing method and apparatus which is related to a technique for changing a color processing in accordance with a document structure included in the color image. In the method and apparatus of this patent document, attribute information of a color matching which is appropriate for one of various types of images is set by application software, and a device driver or a color matching processing unit in a printer performs a suitable color matching process in accordance with the attribute information.
However, in the color image outputting system disclosed in the above-mentioned patent document, the attribute information of a color matching for each type of image is set on the application software side. Thus, there is a problem in that only a single color matching process can be applied when the application software is not provided with a function to add the attribute information of a color matching process. Specifically, if the application software is not provided with the above-mentioned function, the Windows 95, for example, can apply only a single color matching process.
Additionally, there is a problem in that a result of output differs for each application software even for the same color image since how to the attribute information is set is also dependent on the application software.
Additionally, at the present time, most applications are not provided with the function to add the attribute information of a color matching process for each type of image. Thus, there is a problem in that it is practically impossible to change the method of color matching for each type of image.